Smoking high-potency marijuana concentrates boosts blood levels of THC more than twice as much as smoking conventional weed, but it doesn’t necessarily get you higher, according to a new study of regular users published today by University of Colorado Boulder researchers. The paper, published June 10 in JAMA Psychiatry, is the first to assess the acute impact
People suffering from post-traumatic distress disorder report that cannabis reduces the severity of their symptoms by more than half, at least in the short term, according to a recent study led by Carrie Cuttler, a Washington State University assistant professor of psychology. Cuttler and her colleagues analyzed data of more than 400 people who tracked
A test developed by experts in Birmingham has offered evidence confirming COVID-19 to be the cause of a newly emerged multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, who have tested negative for the virus by the PCR test. This raises the possibility that children who may have had the virus in their system, even if they haven’t
Persistently engaging in negative thinking patterns may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, finds a new UCL-led study. In the study of people aged over 55, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, researchers found ‘repetitive negative thinking’ (RNT) is linked to subsequent cognitive decline as well as the deposition of harmful brain proteins linked to Alzheimer’s. The
During early childhood, girls with autism tend to show greater reduction and less rise in their autism symptom severity than boys with autism, a UC Davis MIND Institute study has found. Early childhood is a period of substantial brain growth with critical ability for learning and development. It also is the typical time for an
Curtin University researchers have found that low grade cranial impact in anesthetized rodent models which were designed to replicate the impact suffered by some sport players can result in impaired motor function. Published in Frontiers in Neurology, the research team developed a novel model to better understand the potential effects of low grade cranial impact on
New research by a University of Alberta neuroscientist reveals more about how the mechanism the brain uses to regulate our response to stress could lead to better treatments for anxiety. Bill Colmers and his team discovered that two chemical messengers—corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and neuropeptide Y (NPY)—work in a synchronized opposition to one another to remodel
Sofya Kulikova, a researcher at HSE University in Perm, is part of an international research team that has discovered potential mechanisms that explain the sleep spindle deficit in electroencephalograms (EEG) of people with schizophrenia. The article was published in theSchizophrenia Research on June 5. Individuals with schizophrenia are often characterized by a deficit of sleep spindles–specific
A widely available and inexpensive drug that is used to ease the symptoms of indigestion may prove a worthy contender for treating COVID-19 infection in those whose disease doesn’t require admission to hospital, suggest the findings of a small case series, published online in the journal Gut. The effects were felt within 24 to 48 hours
New study findings from a team at the American Academy of Neurology give insight into how a blood test can help investigators understand which people can take years to recover from a concussion. Many with mild concussions completely recover, but some never get their lives back fully, Kenney, a Fellow of the American Academy of
Implementation of an anticoagulation protocol reduces blood clots in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study published in the April 1 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Christopher J. Tignanelli, M.D., from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, and colleagues evaluated the institutional implementation of a
Having a faulty gene linked to dementia doubles the risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to a large-scale study. Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine analysed data from the UK Biobank, and found high risk of severe COVID-19 infection among European ancestry participants who carry
Traumatic stress can cause aggression by strengthening two brain pathways involved in emotion, according to research recently published in Journal of Neuroscience. Targeting those pathways via deep brain stimulation may stymie aggression associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. The consequences of traumatic stress linger long after the stress ends. People suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder often display
Preventing heart disease may protect you from dementia, researchers say. The new study looked at nearly 1,600 people, at an average age of 79.5, who were followed for 21 years. Their heart disease risk was assessed at the outset, and participants had annual memory and thinking tests. The takeaway: People with a higher risk of
Researchers examine the effectiveness of consuming hemp oil extracted from the whole Cannabis plant using a chronic neuropathic pain animal model. Researchers at The University of New Mexico (UNM) showed that legal Cannabis hemp oil reduced mechanical pain sensitivity 10-fold for several hours in mice with chronic post-operative neuropathic pain. This major breakthrough in cannabis
Scientists have collected plenty of evidence linking exercise to brain health, with some research suggesting fitness may even improve memory. But what happens during exercise to trigger these benefits? New UT Southwestern research that mapped brain changes after one year of aerobic workouts has uncovered a potentially critical process: Exercise boosts blood flow into two
The placentas from 16 women who tested positive for COVID-19 while pregnant showed evidence of injury, according to pathological exams completed directly following birth, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The type of injury seen in the placentas shows abnormal blood flow between the mothers and their babies in utero, pointing to a new complication of
Kimberly Peterson, MSVeterans are not at a higher risk of developing dementia than civilians, unless they suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to new research. A team, led by Kimberly Peterson, MS, Evidence Synthesis Program (ESP) Coordinating Center, VA Portland Health Care System, reviewed the prevalence of dementia in Veterans compared to civilians and examined the link
An international consortium of researchers have identified particular sources of prenatal stress, as experienced by mothers, that have a direct effect on a child’s subsequent mental health. The findings emerged from the DREAM-BIG (Developmental Research in Environmental Adversity, Mental health, BIological susceptibility and Gender) project, and are published in the Journal of the American Academy of
Researchers at Orygen and La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia have completed a rapid review of contemporary epidemic and pandemic research to assess the potential impact of COVID-19 on people with psychosis. The review, published online ahead of print in Schizophrenia Research, found an increase in the prevalence of psychosis as a result of COVID-19 would
